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It's
Never Been a Better Time to be a Client
of
State and Federal Communications
It's
Always Interesting to Hear What Others
Say About You…
First
let me thank our clients and those
interested in our services who visited
the State and Federal Communications
exhibit during last month's PAC Conference in Miami. Our staffers at the
conference
(l. to r.in the photo below) Ren
Koozer, Nola Werren, and Norbert Hobrath,
tell me it was very well attended and
interest in ‘Compliance’ is at an
all-time high.
Each
day, my staff and I communicate with
many of our clients and subscribers,
listening to problems, solving reporting
needs, fulfilling required reports, and
much more. I
especially liked a comment we received
from HONDA regarding compliance work
that we do. They write, "We’d be
remiss if we didn’t say an additional
‘thanks’ for the help of you and
your staff to keep us on the straight
and narrow. We like being able to sleep
at night."
I’m
always fascinated to hear what our
clients and subscribers have to say and
the kudos given to our staff for their
exemplary services. Please keep the
communication lines open and feel free
to let us hear from you with your
comments or concerns.
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Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO
State and Federal Communications, Inc.
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State
and Federal Communications staffer
at our exhibit at the PAC Conference in
Miami. |
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Public
Affairs Council February Meeting
 As
mentioned earlier, the 30th Anniversary National PAC Conference
held February 12-15, 2006 at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in
Miami, Florida. By all accounts, it was a big success, with one
of the largest attendee lists in recent memory.
The
conference covered a range of topics from learning the basics of
campaign finance laws to the
legalities of operating a corporate PAC under the required FEC
guidelines, the latest restrictions, dos and don’ts,
fundraising strategies, creating messages with impact and much
more. Attendees commented on the valuable ‘real world’
experience shared by the speakers and peers.
Plan
ahead, and put next year’s date on your calendars for the
National PAC Conference, February 26 - March 1, 2007 at the
Wyndham Miami Beach Resort, in Miami. Looking forward to seeing
you all there.
Welcome
Reckitt Benckiser
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State and Federal Communications is
pleased
to announce a new ALERTS Consulting client, Reckitt
Benckiser Inc., a global company with a
consumer-oriented division. The company has operations
in 60 countries and sells its products worldwide.
Reckitt Benckiser is the name behind many of well-known
brands in packaged goods categories in the household and
specialty food products industries. |
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New
Research Topics for 2006
In
addition to continuing the daily research into all aspects of
compliance that are part of the
Executive Guides, State and
Federal Communications is adding new topics for this year.
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PROCUREMENT
•
Do leases fall under procurement law?
• Are expenditures made to department of pharmacy
officials reportable as lobbying expenses or procurement
expenses?
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POLITICAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
•
When are contributions reportable?
- the date of the check?
- the date the check is sent?
- the date received?
- or the date cashed?
•
Electronic reporting and registration
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LOBBYING
LAW
•
Are meal tips and sales tax reportable?
• Are lobbyist bonuses and commissions reportable as
compensation?
•
Are expenditures made on behalf of a spouse or
family member reportable?
•
Are sales reps considered lobbyists?
•
Does attendance at a Drug Utilization Review (DUR)
or P&T committee meetings require registration?
•
Are expenditures made to department of pharmacy
officials reportable as lobbying expenses or procurement
expenses?
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New Lobbying Laws Can
Affect Procurement
 According
to State and Federal Communications' State
Researcher Scott Stetson, Esq, a recent change in how the $75 gift
limit in New York State is being interpreted should give lobbyists
pause.
Under
the previous interpretation, the $75 limit was
a per event limit. Now, the
New York Temporary State Commission on Lobbying has taken the
position that the $75 limit is an annual, aggregate limit per official.
A vote by the commission to make this change permanent has
been postponed at this time. Lobbying in New York
State is a $140 million-a-year business.
If the new limit is made permanent, the potential impact on the
economy in Albany could be severe.
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Meet
Nola R. Werren
Nola Werren, Esq., is State and Federal Communications' most
experienced Compliance Associate, responsible for
helping our ALERTS clients with their lobbying
compliance and consulting needs.
Nola has also spoken at numerous conferences and client meetings
and is highly regarded as a leading expert in our field
nation wide. Her past duties at State and Federal
Communications included coordinating the entire
oversight of the Executive Source Guides.
When
asked the number one compliance problem she has seen in
her career
at the company, she responds, "When lobbyists host
dinners and receptions whereby they invite numerous
reportable officials, the recordkeeping and
documentation is either lax or non-existent. And when
numerous lobbyists co-host such events, the problems
become greater because there never seems to be a clear
understanding of whose responsibility it will be to take
care of documenting the costs associated with the event
and the attendees. If invitations are sent prior to the
event, it is imperative that there be a complete list;
when the RSVPs come in there should also be list; and
finally, these lists need reconciled with those who
actually attended the event. We are strong proponents of
having a sign-in sheet at the door to every event. And
if the official has a guest, that person needs listed as
well along with their relationship to the official. No
lobbyist should ever want to have to amend a report to
remove the name of an official that was reported as
having attended, when in fact, he or she did not.
Another
related concern is the issue of determining the per person cost of the event, which is
completely different than determining the pro-rata share
of the per person cost when numerous co-hosts are
involved. When there are co-hosts, some states only want
the pro-rata share of the per person cost; others want
the per person cost regardless.
These
are all things that State and Federal Communications can
assist lobbyists with when reporting time rolls around.
But no matter how much assistance we provide, it is
imperative that your organization maintain thorough
documentation right from the beginning of the
event." |
2006
Guidebook Coming Soon
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The
new State and Federal Communications 2006 Guidebook is just
about ready to go to press. If you are a subscriber to one of
our Executive Source Guides or an ALERTS Consulting client, you
will receive this free publication soon. This year’s issue
will also highlight a new third section on Procurement Lobbying,
providing basic guidelines on this important and growing field
of compliance.
The
Guidebook serves as quick reference guide for information that
you might regularly look for in our extensive three "on-line" Executive Source Guides on State Lobbying Laws,
Political Contributions and Procurement Lobbying. |
See Us in Person
Plan
to say hello at future professional development events where
State and Federal Communications will be attending and/or
speaking regarding compliance issues.
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NCSL
National Conference
August 15, 16, 17, and 18, 2006
Nashville, Tennessee
www.ncsl.org
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